Shock-absorbing device for vehicles.



K. J. STEINER.

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1912.

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SHOCK ABSORBINGV DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26, 1912.

1,068, 182. Patented July 22, 1913.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES v I INVENTOFI WWW UNITED STATES PATENT orr on.

KLAUS' J. STEINER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLYANIA.

SHOCK -AIBSORBIHG'. DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

incense.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul 22, 1913.

Application filed October 26, 1912. Serial No. 727,918.

. the application of my invention to one side ill of the rear spring of an automobile; Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views hereinafter more specifically described; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a modification; Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating another modification; Figs. 6 and 7 are views showing in side elevation and section, respectively, the pulley wheel employed in the construction of Fig. .5; and Fig. 8 is a detail view show ing another modification. l

1 My inventionhas relation to a device for absorbing the shocks to which the bodies constructed and inexpensively menu and other parts of automobiles and other vehicles equipped with springs placed between the frames and axles of such vehicles are subjected, on account of the rebounding action of the springs afterbeing compressed, when the wheels of the vehicles strike obstructions or irregularities in the road.

it is well known thatthe body of a vehicle when its wheels encounter an obstruction or irregularity tends, by its own in ertia, to remain more or less uniformly in the horizontal plane which it occupied beitore the'obstruction was encountered. Because of this body inertia, upon contact oi the wheels with anyroad irregularity, the vehicle springs deflect and immediately thereafter endeavor to resume their normal condition, this"action of the springs being commonly known as the rebound. Un-

' less controlled in some manner, this rebound ot the springs is apt to result in severe shocks and sudden, upward thrusts on the body of the vehicle, leading? in many cases to the ejection of its occupants or to broken springs. The breakage of the springs invariably occurs, not during the initial deflection but upon the reflection or rebound, this being the least controlled, of the two actions.

Numerous devices have heretofore been of blocks, while any force tending designed for the purpose pt properly controlling the action ot vehicle springs, but

I in so far as I am aware they have all been sub ect to numerous d1 culties, such as ineliicient action, undue wear, liability to V breakage, etc.

My. invention is designed to provide a simple and eilicient shock-absorbing device which will be efiective in its operation and Wlll obviate the difliculties heretofore experlenced.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of the well known principle of the pulley block and tackle, because of its propertyof oilering no impediment to the sudden a proach ofone block to the other 0,1? a pear to separate the two blocks must first operate through the leverage of the blocks, which leverage is a :t'unction of the number of pulleys or f sheave wheels in th set of blocks and of the resistance at the on s of the rope. Furtherjmore, the applicatibn of such a device for this purpose is extremely simple and efii-' cient, being prompt in action and also free from objectionable rattle. It can be cheafply ac tured, and as the working parts are simple lubricated bearings, it is capable of lasting a long time, and whena-ny of the parts he 1 come worn, they can be easily repaired by the insertion or replacement of bushings in the pulley wheels. I

ln Fig. l of the accompanying drawings, I haveillustrated in general the application of my invention to one side of the rear spring of an automobile, the drawing being, however, in some respects conventional, and the construction and arrangement as there shown being capable of various modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims. In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates the difl'erential gear housing of the rear shaft, and 3 the axle housing through which the rear axle passes. 4 is the rear spring, which is shown as secured to the axle housing by means of the saddle 5 and sprin clip device 6, the latter having a rubber bumper 7, tolimit the bound ot the spring. 8 designates the channel iron which forms the side of the vehicle frame and to which the spring 4 issecured in any usual or suitable manner, as by a hanger 9 at each end. Rigidly secured to this channel frame 8 is a plate -10, having mounted thereon a pulley shaft 11, carrying a plurality of pulley or shaft wheels 12, 13

and 14. On the axle housing 3 ad'acent to the spring clip device 6 is mounte a simichains for a lar device consisting of a plate 15, fastened to the axle housing by suitable clips 16.

Mounted on this plate is a pulley shaft 17 carrying several sheave wheels, 18, 19 and 20. 21 is a flexible member, .such as a rope of wire or hemp, but preferably a fiat chain similar to a bicycle sprocket chain, made of hardened steel links or plates and pins. I have found a suitable construction for this chain in the well known cable sash chain of the trade, although the materials of such chains are too soft for the purposefor which it is here used. This chain is passed around the two 'sets of sheaves or pulleys, one end being attached to a'helical spring 22 and the other end to a similar spring 23. These two springs are, in turn, attached in a state and attached to the helical coil springs. In this-figure, the same numerals are employed as in Fig. l, to designate the corresponding parts, but for the device at the opposite end of the axle, the letter a has been added to these numerals. Care must, of course, be exercised that there should be no interference between the chains and helical springs of opposite sets, due to their radius of action. This interference can be readily avoided by properly locating the fixed points on the frames to which the helical spring ends are attached. It is also necessary to have suflicient length of chain issuing from the leading-out sheaves of the blocks and extending to the helical springs, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the rebound of the vehicle spring has reached its limit and the pulley blocks are separated the maximum ist-ance, the eyes of the springs are not in I danger of being drawn against the sheave wheels.

- In order that the device may operate without undue friction of the chain against the flanges of the sheave wheels, and to reduce the side twist or bend in the rope or chain caused by the distance whichthenecessities of actual construction impose'between the, v cente'r. l nes of the lanes of the sheavewheels,'1t is a'dv'is'ab e to mount the upper and lower pulley blocks with their shafts. or axes at an angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 3, instead of in the same plane. By this means, the amount of cross-over in the chains is practically eliminated, and the latter are caused to travel in nearly straight lines from each sheave to its mate below or above. By this arrangement, the chain is subjected to only a' slight torsional twist, which the looseness in the pins'and links will permit more readily than any bend from the line of the side of the chain, such as would occur if some means for eliminating cross-over were not adapted. Such a means is particularly advisable where chains of the cable sash or bicycle sprocket type are used. The angularity ofthe two pulley shafts is dependent upon the distance of the center lines of the planes of the sheaves, and becomes more obtuse the greater such distance. It is therefore-desirable in the construction of the pulley blocks for this purposethat they should be made as nar row as possible and that they be placed as closely together on their shafts as the limits of construct-ion will permit. The result of the angular difierence in the axes of the shafts is that the ends of the ropes or chains will issue at the same angular difierence to each other. This is not objectionable, since" it otters a means of so' locating the fixed points on the frames to which the helical springs are attached, that the springs at opposite ends of the chains or on the ends of opposite chains will not interfereilwith the action of each other. The ends oi the chains should be led ofi the sheave wheels in a direction coinciding as-nearly as possible with the planes of the center lines of the sheaves. y

The operation of the device is as follows: When the vehicle is loaded, the springs 4 deflect without resistance on the part of the pulley blocks; on thecontrary, the force of the helical coil springs, acting through the leverage of the-blocks, assists in the deflection of the springs 4. The ulley blocks then. approach each other,'an the'tension of the helical springs at once takes-up any slack in the chains, maintaining the latter in a rigid state of engagement with the sheave wheels. When the bound of the spring 4 occurs, the pulley blocks approach each other suddenly and to'aa greater extent,"

but the helical springs being in strong tension take up all the added slack in the chain. At the instant the spring 4 starts to rebound, it immediately meets the resistance of the helical springs, and this resistancebeing multiplied several times by'the leverage of the pulley blocks, the rebound can" not" take place until. thi's'multiplie'd force of the l .pulleyblocks, tending to restrain it, has been overcome by pulling the chain through the blocks against their leverage. As "the distance between centers of shafts and two sets of pulley blocks increase, the added length of chain required to permit this separation of the blocks must be obtained at the expense of the resiliency of the helical l ll springs, and as their resistance to further stretching becomes greater, the more they are stretched, within the limits of their resiliency, the force of their tension multiglyied by the leverage of the pulley blocks comes greater and greater as the rebound proceeds. Hence the rebounding spring '1 meets-a constantly increasing and resisting force, which results in said spring t being brought gradually to a state of comparative rest. By thus controlling the vehicle spring, a much improved spring action is obtained, the motion of the vehicle body is smoother, and its up and down limits of vibration are diminished, thereby relieving it of sudden, uncontrollable jolts due. to re bounding springs. This not only adds to the comfort of the occupants, but it pro-.

4 tects the operative mechanism of the vehicle from destructive jarsand shocks.

lt will be noted that l have shown both ends "of each rope or chain attached. to movable points, namely, the eyes of the helical springs. lIhi-s is contrary to the usual pracdil tics in the application of pulley blocks, in

which one end of the rope is fixed to either one of the blocks or to an outside fixedpoint, while the other end is free to move. While my arrangement of two movable ends to the no or chain is not absolutely essential to gain the desired end, I find it leads to better results to have both, ends. of the chain in tension and ready to act instantly in takl to turn this wheel a-number of revolutions ing up the slack when thetwo blocks approach each other. Otherwise, the slack chain must travel through all the sheaves oi the two blocks of the system, and this on account of the inertia of the chain, requires an appreciable period of time and tends to produce bash lash or slackening off-the chain. This, in turn would tend'to cause the chain to climb up over the flanges of the sheave wheels and would. result in sudden shocks I when the limit of slackness is reached. The inflexible arrangement resulting from having one end of the chain fixed also requires the use a spring having resiliency enou hto take up twice the amountof slack chain which each spring. is required to do under my preferred arrangement, and as the flexnre of helical orspiral springs is limited by the size of material composing the springs and the diameter of their coils, a single spring capable of doing the work would be. unduly large. 1

The proper function. of the rope or chain is to be at all times in tension and in engagement with the faces of the sheave wheels to avoid back lash climbing over the flanges, and to act at the very instant the rebound of the vehicle spring commences.

fltherwise, when the bound in the vehicle.

spring has reached its limit and the pulley blocks are close together, the sudden start ing of the rebound action would put an unthereof. This construction I have trated in Figs. '5, 6. and 7 In these figures, 27 designates the pulley blocks in the form attachedto the axle, the other end being at it'ached to the wheel. revolved against the tension of the spring,

back toward its original position. .sprocket chain 30 is threaded through the blocks which have been previously wound to give these springs the desired tension. One end of the chain is fastened to the end wheel of one of the series of wheels, and the other due strain on the end of the chain rigidly attached to a fixed point, without the intermediary of the spring. This might lead to breaking of the chain or arts of the block. With the coil spring rea y to give slightly, the shock of the rebound is resisted and is gradually retarded without undue strain on any of the parts.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification in which, instead of helical coil springs, spirally wound springs 25 are employed. These springs are provided with ratchet and -pawl. devices 26, by means of which tension in the chain may be readily and quickly adjusted. This means of producing and varying the tension of the chains may be found more desirable than that shown in Fig. 1,

on account of'the compactness of the springs ;.and the greater ease of attachment. It is also of course, possible to employ pulley blocks having installed within them such spiral tension springs as an'f integral 'ifiart of narrow sprocket wheels. These wheels m are rotatably mounted on non-rotating axles.

I 28. Included in each wheel is a fairly strong spiral spring 29, one end of which is rigidly When the wheel is the springresists this movement and tends The end of the chaln is fastened to the opposite end wheel of the other series. This spring gives a very compact and satisfactory device for the purpose. The sprocket wheels can be rotated on their shafts while the chains are disconnected therefrom so as to give their included springs any desired degree of initial tension.

. I do not wishto be understood as limiting myself to the use of springs of any particw; lar character or to the means herein de-' scribed of securing the roper tension in the chains, as this may be one in various ways. within the scope of my invention. For mstance, instead of employing a separate 1 7 spring or springs, for impartingten'sion to the chain or other flexible member of the block-and-tackle, I mayuse a flexible mcmher having inherent spring tension, such as a coiled spring belt of the character shown in Fig. 8.

The advantages of my invention are many. The simplicit of construction and arrangement is such t at any wear short of that which would cause eccentricity in the no the vehic sheave wheels or their actual breakage will not diminish in the slightest degree its action or efliciency, and where proper proportions are employed, there will be no danger of such breakage, by reason of the ease and flexibility .of the action. The device is therefore desi ned to last as longas the life of he and with'little attention save occasional lubrication and exclusion of grit by means of any suitable flexible inclosing springs which take up very little room and which can be attached to the same. side 'of the frame or structure upon which the individual sets of blocksare attached. Even in such cases, however, the helical springs can often be used by mounting 'the blocks on the frame and axle, with their ax es at or near a right angle with the line of the frame, and fastening the helical coil springs attached to the leading-01f chains to points on the frame forward or aft on which the respective sets of blocks are mounted.

I claim 1. A .shockabsorbing device for spring.

equipped vehicles, comprising a flexible connection between the'running gear and the a spring supportedframe of the vehicle,'said .sistance to the separation of said blocks;-

. blocks and tackle, said frame and axle each connection consisting of a set of blocks and tackle, the running member of the same beingthre'aded through the blocks and having means for constantly opposing a flexible resubstantially as described.

2. A shock absorbing device for spring equipped vehicles, comprising, in combina- 'ticn, a wheelaxle, a vehicle frame springsupported on the axle, and a set of pulley having a pulley block of said set attached thereto, said blocks having a running member threaded therethrough, and said running member having constantly acting tensioning means for flexibly resisting the separation of the block through the medium of the running member; substantially as described.

3. In a shock-absorbing device for vehicles, the combination of a vehicle frame and wheel axle, of a spring supported on said axle, pulley blocks mounted on both the frame and axle, and a running member connecting and running through said blocks, said running member havingmeans for vconstantly producing tension therein, substan tiallyas described.

4. In a shock-absorbing device for vehi cles, the combination of a vehicle frame and wheel axle, a bowed spring supported on the wheel axle, a set of pulley blocks mounted on both the frame and axle, a running member connecting the two sets of blocks and running through them, both ends of the chain being free to move, and having means for producing flexible tension in the running member, substantially as described.

5. In a shock-absorbing device for vehicles, the combination of a vehicle frame and wheel axle, a bowed spring supported on the wheel axle, a set of pulley blocks mounted on both the frame and axle, a running member connecting the two sets of blocks and running through them, both ends of the running member being free to move,

and springs attached to said running member, substantially as described.

6. A shock-absorbing device for vehicles, comprising a vehicle frame, a wheel axle, a spring mounted on the wheel axle, a set of pulley blocks mounted on the frame, another set ofpulley blocks mounted on the axle, said sets of blocks having their respective axes at an angle to each other, a running member working through said blocks, and spring means attached to said running member to give a constant tension thereto, substantially as described. i

7. A shock-absorbing device for vehicles, comprising a set of pulley blocks mounted on the vehicle frame, another set of pulley blocks mounted on a wheel axle of a vehicle, the twosets of blocks having their axes at an angle to each other, and a running member working through said blocks and having its ends attached to the vehicle, substantially as described.

8. A shock-absorbing device for vehicles, comprising a set of pulley blocks attached to the vehicle frame, another set of pulley blocks attached to a wheel axle of a vehicle, the two sets of blocks having their axes at an angle to each other, and a running member working through said blocks, together with means connected to said member to create a constant tension therein, substantially as described.

9. A shock-absorbing device for vehicles, comprising a set of pulley blocks mounted on the vehicle frame, another set of blocks mounted on a wheel axle of the vehicle, the two sets of blocks having their axes at an angle to each other within parallel planes, a running chain working through said blocks, and springs connected to the chain, and having means for varying their tension,

substantially as described.

10. A shock-absorbing device for vehicles, comprising a set of pulley blocks mounted on the vehicle frame, and another set of pulley blocks mounted on the wheel axle of the vehicle, the two sets of blocks having their neeaiaa m axes at an angle to each other, a running member Working through said blocks and having means for creating a constant tension thereon tending to prevent separation of the two sets of blocks; substantially as described.

11. A shock absorbing device for spring equipped vehicles, comprising a pulley mounted on the vehicle frame, another pulley mounted on the running gear, and a flexible member running over said pulleys,

the vehicle frame and running gear; sub- 15 stantially as described.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

KLAUS J. STEINER. Witnesses:

H. M. Comvm, G120. H. PARMELEE. 

